Fall Movie Preview: The 30 Indies You Must See

Fall Movie Preview: The 30 Indies You Must See

Summer is essentially over. Maybe not by the calendar, but certainly
when it comes to Hollywood. The “Grown Up 2″s and “The Hangover Part III”s have come and gone, and for anyone who likes a mediocre $200
million-budgeted film aimed at teenaged boys, you’re out of luck for at
least a few months. (Editor’s note: Yay.)

Not to say this summer didn’t give cinema-goers plenty of nice
alternatives, from rare summer studio fare that pleased audiences and
some critics (“The Conjuring,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Iron Man 3”) to
a good dozen excellent arthouse films (“Fruitvale Station,” “Blue Jasmine,” “Before Midnight,” and “Frances Ha,” to name a few). But fall is a whole
other monster. And more often than not, it’s a monster that’s a good
friend to any cinephile.

The final months of 2012’s specialty release schedule should easily
fulfill the needs of any film lover. There’s works from auteurs both
international and domestic, a considerable documentary presence, many
biopics and the annual plethora of Oscar-bait. And Indiewire has decided
to offer the following list of 30 notable titles to watch for.

It’s more than likely said list would find a few notable additions if the Venice and Toronto dust had already settled. Scores of films about to premiere there remain free.
A number of them could find themselves in theaters by year’s end, but
for now no films without release dates or distributors are included in
this list.

Of note: Indiewire‘s
list veers away from studio efforts that very well could be high on
one’s fall to-see list. Defining what is and is not a “specialty film”
is murky at best so we are simply sticking to including any film
released from a independent distrubutor or an indie division of a
studio. But this rule remains problematic on numerous occasions. Many
“studio films” specifically that would have surely been on and perhaps
even near the top of this list include Spike Lee’s “Oldboy,” Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity,” George Clooney’s “Monument’s Men,” Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska,” Jason Reitman’s “Labor Day,” Spike Jonze’s “Her,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Paul Greengrass’s “Captain Phillips,” Ridley Scott’s “The Counselor” and David O. Russell’s “American Hustle.”

Those films can all be found on our release calendar,
listing the releases by date and giving each its own page complete with
a ton of information (cast, distributor, synopsis, trailer, etc.).

But before treading through those listings, consider the following 30
films first. From Steve McQueen to Nicole Holofcener to Princess Grace, Princess Dianaand Nelson Mandela, a fall indie preview — in alphabetical order and with trailers galore — begins on the next page. -Peter Knegt

Why is it a “Must See”? Perhaps the fall’s best cast — and that’s saying something — moves this film up on your fall checklist, but it’s the man behind the camera who pushes “12 Years a Slave” close to the top slot. Steve McQueen’s third feature film (and third collaboration with Michael Fassbender) marks his first foray into serious awards contention. “Hunger” made a solid festival run, but couldn’t expand past 11 theaters in the States. “Shame” was slapped with the MPAA scarlet letters (NC-17), making it virtually ineligible for awards and actually ineligible to play at many American cinemas. Now, McQueen has a film with a respectable R rating, lots of A-list stars, and a major production company in Brad Pitt’s Plan B. Throw in a surprising inclusion at TIFF as well as an October 18 release date, and McQueen could be looking at a long-lasting level of exposure — perhaps through February.

Check out the trailer below:

After Tiller (September 20)Director: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson Distributor: OscilloscopeWhy is it a “Must See”? One of the best documentaries to come out of the Sundance Film Festival this year, the very timely “After Tiller” refers to George Tiller, a doctor who performed late-term abortions and was murdered in 2009. The film follows the only four remaining doctors in the United States that perform late-term abortions in the wake of Tiller’s death. Incredibly moving and powerful, it marks an impressive feature film debut from Shane and Wilson, and should pretty much be required viewing for anyone on either side of the abortion debate.

Watch the trailer below:

All Is Lost (October 18)Director: J.C. ChandorCast: Robert RedfordDistributor: Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate

Why is it a “Must See”? It’s a one man show starring Robert Redford that’s already generating Oscar buzz. Enough said. J.C.
Chandor’s follow-up to “Margin Call” couldn’t appear more removed from
his 2011 feature film debut. While “Margin Call” focused on the stock
market crash through lots of insider lingo and back room discussions
between an ensemble of thespians, his latest picture features only one
man, one boat, and the ocean. It certainly helps that the man is Robert
Redford. “All Is Lost” won raves at its Cannes premiere in May,
launching Redford into an always crowded Best Actor race. Here’s hoping
the veteran actor earns a nod.

Why is it a “Must See”? The James Franco of documentary film, Alex Gibney offers up his second film of 2013 (after “We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks”) with “The Armstrong Lie,” a take on cycling star Lance Armstrong. And as the title suggests, it’s not exactly a positive one. Said to have begun as the chronicle of a comeback, Gibney’s latest became an examination into the anatomy of a lie when Armstrong was caught doping last year. This film is said to offer considerable access to Armstrong’s former teammates, doctors, and professionals, many of whom have never before spoken to the media about Armstrong and his bombshell doping admission – as well as unprecedented access to Armstrong himself.

Why
is it a “Must See”? Speaking of James Franco, he has taken on William Faulkner’s
complicated modernist classic “As I Lay Dying,” about the Bundren family
on a dangerous pilgrimage to bury their matron. Franco has cast himself
as the lead, and he certainly looks the part (scruffy beard,
sweat-soaked shirt, rugged Southern charm). But everyone is talking
about his usage of split screen, employed to evoke Faulkner’s surreal
and complex story, which is narrated by every member of the family in
turn, including the dead mother speaking from the coffin.

Why
is it a “Must See”? Nothing coming out this fall screams Oscar quite like “August: Osage
County.” Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tracy Letts
(who wrote the screenplay as well), the film stars none other than Meryl
Streep and Julia Roberts as an extremely dysfunctional mother and
daughter (alongside Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor, Dermot Mulrney, Benedict Cumberbatch,
Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson and Abigail Breslin).
The Weinstein Company is debuting it in Toronto in a few weeks, but we’ll have to wait until Christmas Day to see what Streep, Roberts and company have in store for us.

Hitting theaters this fall after winning over essentially everybody at Cannes (and winning the festival’s prestigious top prize) is Abdellatif Kechiche’s epic lesbian love story “Blue Is The Warmest Colour.” The film follows Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a 15 year old who has her life turn inside out when she falls for blue-haired Emma (Léa Seydoux). The
film is already infamous for its ten minute explicit sex scene, but there’s a lot more to this in-depth
character study. Featuring remarkable performances from its young actresses, “Blue” should definitely be your warmest color come October.

Why is it a “Must See”? The first film to ever adapt the work of gay literary icon David
Sedaris, Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s “C.O.G.” manages to both do justice to
Sedaris’ unique voice and sense of humor while giving it a stamp of the
director’s own. Based on an essay from Sedaris’s 1997 collection
“Naked,” both the literary and cinematic versions of “C.O.G.” detail the
experience Sedaris himself (played by the wonderful Jonathan Groff in
the film) had when he travelled to rural Oregon to work as an apple
picker. Through encounters with a glorious variety of locals, the
twentysomething Sedaris came to considerable revelations about his
religion (“C.O.G.” stands “Child of God,” an acronym that one of those
said locals proudly self-identifies with) and sexuality. Expanding on
those two themes, Alvarez makes good on the promise of his 2009
directorial debut “Easier With Practice,” keeping Sedaris fans happy in
the process.

Why is it a “Must See”? This
French film focuses on one winter when sculptor Camille Claudel is
removed to an asylum by her family, never to sculpt again. This film
chronicles the first two years of her asylum stay, and with dialogue
that amounts to no more than four pages, it relies on Juliette Binoche
to present the solitary, constrained life of a former artist who was
used to painting next to August Rodin. In this minimalist, brooding take
on Claudel’s stay, the first two years in a remote asylum in France
stretch into an eternity.

Why is it a “Must See”? The story of a suburban
lesbian housewife (an amazing Robin Weigert), “Concussion” is likely to
be dubbed “the lesbian hooker movie.” But it’s so much more than that.
While indeed Weigert’s character decides to secretly become a prostitute
for women behind the back of her wife and kids, the film uses that
context to explore a complex woman who implodes amidst the
heteronormative lifestyle that crept up on her. Weigert plays Abby, a
fortysomething lesbian who’s married with two kids and lives in the New
Jersey suburbia. But after being hit in the head by her son’s baseball,
Abby begins to unravel and through a series of events finds herself with
a new double life: Lesbian housewife by night, high-end lesbian
prositute by day. It’s a sexy, uncomprising and unique take on the
cinematic mid-life crisis that works in large part because of Weigert’s
peformance. It also offers what will likely be the hottest lesbian sex
on a big screen this year.

Why is it a “Must See”? We’ve seen the photos of the frail physique Matthew
McConaughey developed for the role. Now it’s time to find out if he can
make more than just a physical transformation. After being
snubbed by the Academy in 2012 despite at least two worthy turns (“Magic
Mike” and “Killer Joe”), Matthew McConaughey is back with a vengeance
in 2013. To kick off the year, he played the titular character in the
festival favorite “Mud.” In November, he’ll appear alongside Leonardo
DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and in December
he takes his biggest swing yet at Oscar gold in “Dallas Buyers Club” as
an HIV-positive Texas electrician searching for alternative medicines
to treat his disease. We’ve yet to see any official footage, but his
odds will become clearer after the film premieres at TIFF in September.

Why Are They “Must Sees”? These dueling tales of contemporary, beloved princesses are both slated
for November release (and both directed by Olivers). Starring BFFs Naomi Watts and
Nicole Kidman as
Princess Diana and Princess Grace, respectively, each film takes on a
specific period in its subject’s life. For Diana, it’s the two years
leading up to her untimely death in 1997. For Grace, it’s a crisis of
marriage and identity during a dispute between Monaco’s Prince Rainier
III and France’s Charles De Gaulle and a looming French military
invasion of the principality in the early 1960s. Get ready for the award
season battle of the Australian actresses playing princesses?

Check out the trailer for “Diana” below (“Grace” has yet to release one):

Why is it a “Must See”? This Sundance premiere is the directorial debut of
one of his generation’s most creative voices. Plus, it’s features a
jacked-up JGL and a Jersey-voiced Scarlett Johansson.

It’s got
more weight than your average comedy and more depth than your typical
romance, but make no mistake: Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut
is a romantic comedy. The former child star and heir apparent to the
cowl has crafted an atypical pseudo-takedown of the usually formulaic
genre. Gordon-Levitt plays Don, a Lothario to the nth degree whose true
passion isn’t women, but porn. As can be imagined, this gets him in some
trouble with less than understanding visitors, including Don’s dream
girl, Barbara (Johansson). The hard-R comedy has already successfully
run the festival circuit, stopping by SXSW and Berlin in addition to its
premiere at Sundance.

Why
is it a “Must See”? It’s been three years since Nicole Holofcener’s
lovely previous feature “Please Give” (though she’s directed episodes of
“Parks & Recreation” and “Enlightened” in between), and her latest
— hitting TIFF before a late September release date — reunites her with Catherine Keener (who has starred in all of her films) alongside Toni Collette, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the late James Gandolfini in the
story of divorced woman (Dreyfus) who learns her new love interest
(Gandolfini) is her new friend’s ex-husband.

Why is it a “Must See”? “Escape From Tomorrow,” the provocative indie shot guerrilla-style at Disney World, landed U.S. distribution via Producers Distribution Agency (PDA) a month or so back, despite many assuming because of its controversial method of shooting it would never hit theaters. But this October the loosely constructed, starkly black-and-white directorial debut of Randy Moore — which follows a family on their twisted final day of vacation in Disney World — will do just that.

Why is it a “Must See”? Starring Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Carell, Sienna Miller and Vanessa Redgrave, “Foxcatcher” tells the true story of Olympic Wrestling Champion brothers Mark Schultz (Tatum) and Dave Schultz (Ruffalo) and their relationship with the eccentric John du Pont (Carell), heir to the du Pont Chemical fortune that led to murder. Written by E. Max Frye and “Capote” scribe Dan Futterman, the film clearly aims to become Bennett Miller’s third straight film to receive a best picture nomination.

Winner of the Teddy Award for best LGBT
narrative film at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, Malgorzata
Szumowksa’s Polish drama “In the Name Of” sensitivity approaches the central
character of a gay priest. Father Adam (Andrzej Chyra, in a rather mesmerizing
performance) is the pastor of a tiny parish in the middle of the Polish
countryside. As drama begins to surround Father Adam, “In The Name Of…” develops into a thoughtful, distinctive portrait of a truly devout man
struggling to come to terms with himself (notably after developing a
relationship with a Jesus lookalike youth at the center for difficult boys he
devotes time to). And though the film is largely a serious affair, look out for
the film’s doozy of a sole comic scene, in which Adam gets ridiculously drunk
and dances with a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI.

Why
is it a “Must See”? Ecstatically received at this year’s Cannes Film Festival where it won the Grand Prize of the Jury, Joel and Ethan Coen’s folk music dramedy “Inside Llewyn Davis” opens stateside until December 6th. The gorgeous-looking drama (shot by “Amelie” DP Bruno Delbonnel) centers on an aspiring singer-songwriter (Oscar Isaac in a breakthrough performance) who navigates the 1960s folk-music scene in New York City’s Greenwich Village. T Bone Burnett produced the film’s soundtrack that includes music performed by, among others, Isaac, Marcus Mumford, Justin Timberlake and Carey Mulligan.

Why is it a “Must See”? Getting serious buzz as its heads into its Telluride Film Festival debut in just a few days, Ralph Fiennes’ second film as both director and actor takes on Charles Dickens (Fiennes) and the fact he had a mistress named Nelly Ternan (Jones) for 13 years right up until his death (Dickens was forty-five and had been married some twenty years when they met while Ternan was seventeen). Written by Abi Morgan (“The Iron Lady”), the film also stars Kristin Scott Thomas and Tom Hollander.

Why is it a “Must See”? This
film brings the legendary beat generation together for a lesser known
story: the murder of David Kammerer by one of their own, Lucien Carr.
Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William Burroughs become key witnesses
in the trial of their friend. This film has been getting a lot of buzz
for the complete makeover Daniel Radcliffe underwent to portray Allen
Ginsberg. Take one look at his horn-rimmed spectacles, scruff, and 60s
waves and you’ll be saying “Harry Potter who?” Also starring are
Michael C. Hall as David Kammerer and Ben Foster as William Burroughs.

Why is it a “Must See”? There has been no shortage of films about the life
of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black, democratically elected
president. But not only is this incarnation based on Mandela’s
autobiography, “A Long Walk to Freedom,” but producer Anant Singh had
been in talks with Mandela back when he was still in prison. Singh
acquired film rights to the book in 1996 when it was published, and now
the film has come to fruition. The biopic will highlight Mandela’s
childhood, coming of age, education, and 27 years in prison.

Why is it a “Must See”? A
moving two-character study from Andrew Dosunmu (“Restless City”), this
feature follows Adenike (Danai Gurira) and Ayodele (Isaach De Bankolé), a
Nigerian couple living in Brooklyn whose marital bliss is halted by
their inability to conceive a child. The problem devastates their family
and defies cultural expectations, leaving Adenike to make a shocking
decision that could fix everything or destroy her family. Another
highlight is the cinematography from the acclaimed Bradford Young, who
shot “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.”

Why is it a “Must See”? If being the director’s second feature following
the Oscar-winning “Crazy Heart” isn’t reason enough, surely the cast of
six Academy Award nominees and two winners should justify its inclusion. The
film — about a vigilante searching for his missing brother — earned
one Oscar voter’s seal of approval: Jeff Bridges. If that doesn’t mean
much following “R.I.P.D.,” remember the Dude won his only Oscar for
Cooper’s first film, “Crazy Heart,” a drama that garnered enough respect
within the industry to allow the director access to this cast for his
second feature. The trailer makes it look like a somewhat typical
revenge story from Cooper and first-time feature writer Brad Ingelsby,
but don’t expect anything typical when you get a gang like this
together.

Why is it a “Must See”? Two years after taking home the foreign language Oscar for “A Separation,” Asghar Farhadi returns with “The Past.” Already a huge critical hit at Cannes, the film stars “The Artist” and “A Prophet” breakouts Berenice Bejo (who won the best actress prize in Cannes) and Tahar Rahim as the French wife of Iranian man who deserts her and two children to return to his homeland. At Cannes, Indiewire’s Eric Kohn said the film confirms Farhadi’s “mastery of human behavior.”

Why is it a “Must See”?
This French film follows Rose, a young women determined to break free
from her stifling life and amount to something other than a housewife.
She applies for a job as a secretary at an insurance agency. Her
interview is disastrous, but when her boss discovers her skill for
typing, he hires her on the condition that she compete in a speed typing
tournament. The 1950s era and French and American settings make this
film seem like The Weinstein Company’s tonal follow-up to the success of
“The Artist.” The film even features “Artist” star Bérénice Bejo and
cinematographer Guillaume Schiffman.

Why
is it a “Must See”? This film has been shrouded in buzz and
speculation, just like the famously reclusive author it attempts to
capture. The talking head documentary will look at J.D. Salinger’s life
after he went into seclusion following the publication of “The Catcher
in the Rye,” the seminal novel that young people everywhere have looked
to for a (sometimes grim) philosophy on life. Salinger retreated from
the world to a New Hampshire cabin, from which he wrote a tantalizing
amount of fiction that he withheld from publication. Salinger passed
away in 2010, raising controversy about whether the public would have
access to his hidden body of work. The film is said to be filled with
secrets and revelations about the author’s deeply private life,
including the reveal of “the biggest secret of his lifetime.”

Why is it a “Must See”? A
high school teacher (Lindsay Brudge) has an affair with her student
(Will Brittain), and what follows the taboo union is her unraveling as
she is unable to let the affair go. Newcomer Hannah Fidell takes on this
scandalous yet all too ubiquitous topic in this very well received pick up out of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Why
is it a “Must See”? Despite a rather tepid reception at last year’s
TIFF, Stuart Blumberg’s follow-up screenplay to “The Kids Are All Right”
features two awards-worthy thespians and looks to take on a topic mired
in skepticism with a firm grip on reality. Blumberg’s
directorial debut doesn’t shy away from the sensitive topics the
screenwriter in him has come to embrace. The Oscar-nominated scribe
behind “The Kids Are All Right” and “Keeping the Faith” takes on sex
addiction in “Thanks for Sharing” with the help of Mark Ruffalo and
Gwyneth Paltrow, the former a sex addict and the latter his new beau.
The two must learn to develop a meaningful relationship while living
with Ruffalo’s condition. Mixed, year-old reactions aside, “Thanks for
Sharing” has enough promise on paper — and enough likable actors out
front — to earn a second chance come September.

Why
is it a “Must See”? Not to be confused the French imported “Therese” starring Audrey Tatou that was released just a few weeks ago (based on the 1927 novel “Thérèse Desqueyroux”), Charlie Stratton’s “Therese” was made in the US and is based on the 1867 novel “Thérèse Raquin.” And instead of Andrey Tatou we get Elizabeth Olsen and Jessica Lange. Just picked up by Roadside Attractions ahead of its Toronto premiere in a week or so, the film stars Olsen as the titular Therese, a sexually repressed young woman trapped in a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille (Tom Felton) by her domineering aunt, Madame Raquin (Jessica Lange). When she meets her husband’s childhood friend, Laurent (Oscar Isaac, of “Inside Llewyn Davis”), she embarks on an illicit affair with tragic consequences.

Why is it a “Must See”? Lynn Shelton’s cross-medium successes in film and television comedy (“Humpday,” “New Girl”) and drama (“Your Sister’s Sister,” “Mad Men”) have made her one to watch for the foreseeable future. Premiering at this year’s Sundance film festival, “Touchy Feely” tells the story of a massage therapist (Rosemarie DeWitt) suddenly afflicted by a fear of bodily contact just as her brother discovers a hidden talent for it at his dental practice. Jealousy, though, isn’t her main or even secondary concern. Her aversion has adverse effects on her love life as well, alienating her partner (Scoot McNairy) and pushing him toward the eager arms of a younger woman (Ellen Page). With her down to earth perspective and realistic shooting style, Shelton looks to have crafted another personal project full of unique human interactions.